Swenson keeps Wildcats rolling

Trevor Swenson is having a special season for Las Vegas High.

The junior quarterback completed 20 of 28 passes for 380 yards Thursday and four touchdowns to lead the Wildcats to a 56-28 home win over Basic.

In last week’s win against Foothill, Swenson threw for 323 yards and two touchdowns.

“Trevor is doing a very good job. He played every snap as a sophomore last season, so we tell him he’s got senior experience,” head coach James Thurman said. “Our offensive line is doing a good job protecting him, and the receivers are catching everything he’s throwing at them. We are very happy about the rest of the season with him. He’s a talented young man.”

Swenson got the scoring started on the Wildcats’ first play from scrimmage. He completed a short pass to senior receiver Aaron Zanin-Banks, who turned the pass into a 57-yard touchdown. Swenson and Zanin-Banks also would hook up on a 66-yard touchdown pass early in the fourth quarter to put the game out of reach. Zanin-Banks caught eight passes for 198 yards and two touchdowns.

“We really grew up together and matured a lot over the summer,” Zanin-Banks said of his quarterback. “We are working hard every day, trying to play as a team, play as a family and spread the ball around.”

Swenson also threw a 1-yard touchdown pass to Kyle Christenson and an 80-yard scoring pass to Andrew Moreland. Moreland rushed for 137 yards on 11 carries and two touchdowns. He also caught four passes for 122 yards.

Despite the offensive fireworks, Basic (0-2) kept the game close through the first three quarters. After the Wildcats' first score, Antraye Johnson returned the ensuing kickoff 80 yards for a TD to cut the Las Vegas lead to 7-6.

After the Wildcats scored on their following possession on a 1-yard pass from Swenson to Christenson, the Wolves defense kept Las Vegas out of the end zone the rest of the half. Basic tied the score at 14 on a 3-yard touchdown run by Johnson, who also ran in the 2-point conversion.

In the second half, Las Vegas regained the lead on a 65-yard fumble return by Tristan Gordon. The Wolves eventually took the lead after a 19-yard scoring strike from Johnson to David Garza. Johnson then ran in the 2-point conversion to give Basic a 22-21 lead.

Las Vegas regained the lead for good when Moreland scored on a 16-yard run, and Jacob Littlefield returned an interception 30 yards for a score to put the Wildcats up 36-22.

Despite the victory, Thurman still sees an plenty of areas the Wildcats need to improve. In the second quarter, penalties kept several Basic drives alive, including the drive that tied the score at 14. The Wildcats also lost two fumbles in the game.

“We shot ourselves in the foot with the turnovers and stupid penalties,” Thurman said. “At halftime we talked about executing, doing our job and eliminating the stupid stuff.

“We still need to work on finishing. We did a better job tonight against a scrappy football team. Our kids were able to finish the job tonight and overcame some adversity. Our goal is to keep getting better each week.”